Disinfection of a contaminated environment

ABSTRACT

A formulation to reduce the numbers of bacteria, particularly Gram positive bacteria, in a space such as a waste disposal bin, via the vapour phase, and active over a long period, typically several weeks. The product comprises one or more essential oils or essential oil components plus a mixture of volatile and non-volatile solvents, on a carrier such as a non-woven, sintered plastic or cardboard.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a product which prevents proliferation ofmicroorganisms, particularly Gram-positive bacteria such asStaphylococcus aureus, within a space, via a vapour action, and which isactive for long periods, typically several weeks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the field of disinfection and sanitisation, there is a general moveaway from chemical agents, due to concerns regarding the safety andeffects of these chemical compounds, or their residues, on theenvironment. This has led to increased interest in the use of naturalcompounds as disinfectants in many sectors.

The anti-microbial nature of essential oils is well documented. Forexample, EP 1146111 discloses a hard surface disinfecting formulationbased on cinnamon oil or it's actives. The compositions are testedaccording to European Standard EN1276, which measures anti-microbialperformance on a single occasion, and over a contact time of 5 minutes.In addition, as the application is for hard surface disinfection, theanti-microbial activity is by direct contact of the active moleculeswith the microbes. The use of a wipe is discussed, but no details ofother carriers, or the effects of different chemistries of the wipe onanti-microbial performance are given.

WO 96/39826 describes the use of essential oil components such ascinnamic aldehyde and coniferyl aldehyde to disinfect contaminatedenvironments, although no useful performance data for the formulationsis provided in the specification.

A number of patent publications have also proposed essential oils andessential oil components as a replacement for the fumigant methylbromide, for the control of plant pathogens. WO200021364 examines theactivity of essential oils from plants native to Turkey, such as Thymbraspicata, and although the primary targets are insects and fungi, someanti-bacterial activity is claimed, and methods for small scale, shortterm assessment of vapour activity of the oils are also described. Ofthe 70 essential oil components listed in the patent publication, thecompound anethole was selected for further studies as a fumigant. Inaddition, no attempts to control the activity over a time period aredescribed.

Feminine hygiene waste, such as used sanitary towels and tampons, andsoiled nappies and incontinence pads, are often disposed of inspecialist bins, and several companies offer a service relating to thesebins. Typically, the bins remain in service at the customers premisesfor between 2 and 8 weeks. This represents a particular challenge to adisinfectant or sanitizing system, as waste contaminated withpotentially pathogenic organisms is constantly being placed into thebins over a long period, steadily increasing the organic matter loadingand constantly adding new pathogenic bacteria, requiring disinfection.Thus, feminine hygiene waste bins provide both an application for thetechnology, and an ideal demonstration of the advantages and features ofthe invention.

There is concern about the proliferation of microbes within the bin, andit is felt that this may present a hazard to the customers andoperatives of the service companies, and may also lead to thedevelopment of unpleasant odours. To combat this, a biocidal system isoften used in the bin. Traditionally, this has involved use of a largevolume of liquid disinfectant, but this leads to an increased weight ofmaterial requiring disposal, and there are also concerns regarding thelong-term effectiveness of a liquid system throughout the bin once thematerial has been absorbed into the sanitary waste at the base. Othersystems are based on gas-generating systems which produce, for example,sulphur dioxide which can then penetrate and disinfect waste throughoutthe bin. There is some doubt about the control of release of the gas, aswell as health and safety concerns about sulphur dioxide, which has leadto this technology being banned in a number of countries.

As mentioned above, in the field of disinfection, there is a generalmove away from chemical agents. Simple low volume disinfectant systemsfor use in bins, based on essential oils and plant extracts is thesubject of EP 0 965 541.

The bacteria used to test the performance of the vapour based productsdisclosed in EP 0 965 541 were Gram-negative bacteria such asSalmonella, Pseudomonas and Escherichia coli. Gram-positive bacteriaseem generally more resistant to natural plant extracts and essentialoils. However, many Gram-positive bacteria are pathogenic.Staphylococcus aureus for example, can cause a number of common skininfections, and if ingested, can also cause food poisoning. In addition,the experiments reported in EP 0 965 541 did not reflect the timeinterval of a bin service, and in particular, did not involve repeatedexperiments in the same receptacle over an extended time. A trulyeffective natural product for use in a feminine hygiene waste bin willneed to be active against all types of bacteria, and over a time framewhich accurately represents the service life of the bin, both to fulfillthe role of consumer and operator protection, and to achieve regulatoryapproval in certain markets. Thus, improving the performance of aproduct against Gram-positive bacteria and controlling the activity ofthe product to match the service interval of the bin are major featuresof the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention a vapour-based productfor sanitising and deodorising a space such as waste disposal bin overseveral weeks, comprises a combination of one or more essential oils oressential oil components, and a combination of volatile and non-volatilesolvents, absorbed onto a carrier.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, avapour-producing formulation comprises a combination of one or moreessential oils or essential oil components, and a combination ofvolatile and non-volatile solvents, in a viscous liquid.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a formulation asdefined above is used to sanitse and deodorise a waste disposal bin.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a waste disposalbin comprises a product or formulation as defined above.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a carrier materialhas one or more essential oil or essential oil components impregnatedthereon, the carrier is a resilient or rigid material having a length ofat least 200 mm.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides formulations and products for sanitisingand deodorising a space, for example a waste disposal bin. The inventionmakes use of an identified synergy between an essential oil or essentialoil component and a mixture of volatile or non-volatile solvents.

Preferred essential oil components for use in this invention, which canbe used singly, or in combination, are selected from the groupconsisting of cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic alcohol, geraniol, linalool,benzaldehyde, anisaldehyde, terpinen-4-ol, amyl-cinnamic aldehyde,hexyl-cinnamic aldehyde and eugenol. Preferred essential oils, whichagain can be used singly and in combination include tea tree oil, cloveleaf oil, clove bud oil, cinnamon leaf oil, cinnamon bark oil, spearmintoil (whether of US or Chinese origin), bergamot oil, marjoram oil,bitter almond oil, lemon tea tree oil, bay oil, origanum oil, lemon oil,pimento berry oil, orange oil, cassia oil and cumin oil.

Such essential oil components and/or essential oils can be absorbed ontocertain carriers, such as paper, cardboard, etc., so that the vapouraction of the product is controlled over a specified time period.

An important aspect of the present invention is the combination of theactive ingredient(s) with a blend of at least two solvents. The solventsin the mixture comprise volatile solvents, particularly lower alcohols,and most preferably iso-propanol, and non-volatile solvents such aswater, or glycols, most preferably monopropylene glycol. The solventmixture has two purposes. Firstly by changing the ratio of volatile tonon-volatile solvents, the active life of the product can bemanipulated. Higher levels of volatile solvents tend to lead to a largeinitial burst of anti-microbial activity, but a short active life,whilst increasing the levels of non-volatile solvents tends to slow downthe rate of release of the anti-microbial vapour, and increase theactive life of the product. The ratio of solvents in the currentinvention can vary between 10:1 and 1:10 volatile to non-volatilesolvents, and more preferably between 3:1 and 1:3.

The solvents have a second effect in terms of a synergistic improvementin the anti-microbial activity of the invention. Although both alcoholssuch as iso-propanol and ethanol, as well as glycols such asmonopropylene glycol are all reported as having anti-bacterial oranti-fungal activities, this is normally in relatively highconcentrations in a liquid system. In the present invention, a few gramsof each solvent are used, which would not be expected to have adisinfecting effect in a bin of up to 50 litre volume over a 6 to 8 weekperiod. However, when used in combination with the oils and oilfractions, unexpected synergistic effects are found, with thecombination having a much larger and longer lasting anti-microbialvapour effect than the components alone.

The present invention has also identified synergistic combinations ofessential oils and essential oil components. Certain combinations of anessential oil and an essential oil component have a much greateranti-microbial effect than either component demonstrates when usedalone. An example of such a mixture is the combination of cinnamon leafoil and cinnamic alcohol. Although cinnamic alcohol is present incinnamon leaf oil, it is not the main fraction of the oil, and is notreported to be anti-microbial. Thus increasing it's concentration in amixture would not be expected to result in any particular increase inanti-microbial activity of the cinnamon leaf oil.

The active material may be impregnated onto a carrier material to permitrelease of the antimicrobial vapour over an extended period.

A number of carriers can be used to deliver the activeingredient/solvent mixture. A preferred embodiment is the use of acellulosic fibre/plastic non-woven sheet. Changing the ratio ofcellulosic fibre (a polar material) and plastic (non-polar material) canhave an effect on the release rate and release characteristics of theactive ingredients, in that the polypropylene will have an attractionfor non-polar molecules in the active mixture, and will tend to retainthem more strongly, whilst the viscose will tend to attract non-polarmaterials and hold onto them more strongly. A preferred embodiment ofthe invention is a cellulose (wood pulp fibre)/polypropylene non-wovenmaterial of approximately 60 g/m² weight, manufactured by ahydro-entanglement process, known commercially as Ahlstrom A4459. Othersuitable non-woven materials from other sources will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art.

A further embodiment of the invention is the use of a resilient or rigidmaterial, e.g. cardboard, as the carrier. In one embodiment, thecardboard is in the form of a corrugated or solid card, and has a lengthat least 200 mm, preferably at least 300 mm and most preferably no morethan 1000 mm (e.g. up to 400 mm). The width may be at least 10 mm, morepreferably 20 mm, and most preferably less than 50 mm. The dimensionshave been chosen so that the cardboard can be used as an insert in awaste bin, with the cardboard standing up within the bin, preventing itfrom being buried by the waste entering the bin. The cardboard may beplaced substantially upright or placed across the diagonal of the bin.

The active ingredient mixture can be placed at one end of the cardboardduring the manufacturing process, and if this end was then placeduppermost in the bin, it would further resist being buried by theincoming waste. The cardboard, or other resilient or rigid material, maytherefore be in the form of a stick. Other shapes and materials whichwould achieve these objectives will be apparent to those skilled in theart.

The carrier can also consist of a piece of sintered plastic, for examplepolyethylene or polypropylene. This material can be manufactured in sucha way that it consists of an approximately 50% void volume, and this canbe filled with the active mixture, either by passive adsorption or byvacuum techniques. The shape of the material can be a sheet, or a moresophisticated moulding, machining or lamination so that in some way itcan be attached to inside the bin or on the lid of the bin.

A further embodiment of the carrier is the use of amorphous silicondioxide, which can absorb over 50% by weight of the active mixture, anddue to the fine particle size, can deliver vapour-releasing particles,each producing the active ingredient throughout the bin.

Any suitable solid carrier, either organic, or inorganic, may also beused as a delivery system for the active/solvent mixture. This caninclude but is not limited to powders, granules, pellets, blocks, pads,sheets, self adhesive materials or labels, etc.

A further embodiment of the invention involves delivery of the activemixture as a viscous gel. The viscosity of the active mixture can bemodified by the addition of viscosity-modifying agents such as cellulosegums, anionic co-polymers etc. A preferred method for increasing theviscosity is the use of amorphous silicon dioxide, for example Aerosil200 from Degussa AG, which can be added to the liquid in the range 1-9%,and more preferably in the range 6.5-8.5% (w/w). Other suitableviscosity modifying systems will be familiar to those skilled in theart.

The following Examples illustrate the invention.

EXAMPLE 1

This Example illustrates the fact that cinnamic aldehyde on a carriercan have relatively long lasting anti-microbial properties, as describedin WO96/39826, but the addition of the solvent mixture increases theinitial activity of the formulation, and also significantly improves theeffectiveness in the long term. The solvent mixture alone starts offbeing very effective, but fades rapidly, and at end of the experiment,it is little better than the untreated control.

The test system consisted of a common type of feminine hygiene wastebin. One bin received 2 g of monopropylene glycol and 6 g ofiso-propanol, the second 0.5 g of cinnamic aldehyde, the third 0.75 g ofcinnamic aldehyde, the fourth 0.5 g of cinnamic aldehyde, plus 2 g ofmonopropylene glycol and 6 g of iso-propanol, the fifth 0.75 g ofcinnamic aldehyde, plus 2 g of monopropylene glycol and 6 g ofiso-propanol. All test solutions were absorbed onto a 20 cm×20 cm pieceof a cellulose/polypropylene non woven, namely Ahistrom AH4559. A finalbin received no treatment and served as a control.

To begin the experiment, 1 ml of sterile horse serum was added to 9 mlof an overnight culture of the Gram-positive organism Staphylococcusaureus NCTC 4163, and 20 μl of this mixture was then pipetted onto 40sterile Whatman antibiotic discs for each bin. The inoculated discs wereplaced in individual compartments of Sterilin 25 compartment squarePetri dishes, (Sterilin part code 103), and the lids were turned so thatthey were propped open. The plates were then placed in basketsapproximately 15 cm above the base of the bin, and the lid placed on thebin. Following either 24, 48 or 72 hours of exposure to the productvapour (see Table 1), discs were removed from the trays and survivingbacteria counted by decimal dilutions in maximum recovery diluent andplating onto solidified Baird-Parker medium, which is selective forStaphylococcus strains, using the Miles and Misra technique. The plateswere incubated overnight at 37° C., and then colonies counted on theappropriate dilution. Discs were placed into the units at time zero,after 14 days, 20 days and 35 days, and the number of surviving bacteriaon each disc on each occasion was calculated, and the results for thetest formulations are shown below: TABLE 1 Surviving bacteria on discwhen discs placed in bin After 14 After 20 After After 0 days days days35 days (72 hr (72 hr (24 hr (24 hr exposure) exposure) exposure)exposure) Control  4.0 × 10⁷  2.4 × 10⁶ 1.4 × 10⁷ 5.8 × 10⁷ Solventmixture <6.6 × 10¹  1.3 × 10² 3.8 × 10⁶ 3.1 × 10⁷ 0.5 g cinnamic  1.9 ×10³ <6.6 × 10¹ 3.2 × 10⁶ 7.3 × 10⁵ aldehyde 0.75 g cinnamic  5.0 × 10²<6.6 × 10¹ 1.7 × 10⁵ 6.5 × 10⁴ aldehyde 0.5 g cinnamic <6.6 × 10¹ <6.6 ×10¹ 7.1 × 10⁵ 5.3 × 10⁴ aldehyde plus solvent mixture 0.75 g cinnamic<6.6 × 10¹ <6.6 × 10¹ 1.3 × 10⁴ 3.3 × 10² aldehyde plus solvent mixture

EXAMPLE 2

To further illustrate the synergistic effects of mixtures of essentialoils and essential oil components, three formulations were prepared, onecontaining 2 g of cinnamon leaf oil, the second 1 g of cinnamic alcoholand the third both 2 g of cinnamon leaf oil and 1 g of cinnamic alcohol.

The method used was the disc method described in Example 1, except thatEscherichia coil NCTC8196 was used as the test organism, the discs wereplaced into the units at time zero, and they were exposed to the productvapour for 72 hours, and MacConkey agar No. 3 was used for enumerationof surviving bacteria. The results for the three test formulations areshown below: TABLE 2 2 g 1 g cinnamon leaf cinnamic 1 g cinnamic alcoholplus oil alcohol 2 g cinnamon leaf oil Number of 4.9 × 10⁵ 1.1 × 10⁵<6.6 × 10¹ bacteria surviving on the disc

This experiment clearly illustrates that a combination of the essentialoil and the essential oil component is considerably more effective thaneither constituent alone.

EXAMPLE 3

A further experiment was conducted to study the effect of varying thesolvent ratio in relation to the longevity of the action of the product.Various formulations were prepared, each containing 2 g of cinnamon leafoil and 1 g of cinnamic alcohol. Each formulation also contained 10 g ofthe solvent mixture, at varying ratios of iso-propanol to monopropyleneglycol.

The test system described in Example 2 was used, in that the organismused was Escherichia coli NCTC8196, and the agar used for growth of theorganisms was MacConkey agar No. 3. In this example, following 24, 48and 72 hours of exposure to the product vapour, 5 discs were removedfrom the trays and placed into 9 ml of nutrient broth. These broths wereincubated at 37° C., and then examined for growth after 24 hours. Anybroths showing growth were subsequently streaked onto MacConkey agar No.3, to test for the presence of E. coli. Growth on the streak was scoredas a positive (i.e. surviving E. coil were present on the disc) and nogrowth as a negative (100% kill of E. coli on the disc). The experimentwas repeated, in that fresh inoculated discs were placed into the binsat 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks after the addition of the test formulation,and the results for the varying solvent ratios are shown below: TABLE 3Ratio IPA:MPG code 0 weeks 2 weeks 4 weeks 6 weeks 8 weeks 1:3 H All AllAll Not Not tested negative positive positive tested 48 hours 72 hours72 hours 1:1 K All All All Not Not tested negative positive positivetested 48 hours 72 hours 72 hours 3:1 V All All All All All negativenegative negative negative negative 48 hours 24 hours 48 hours 48 hours72 hours 5:1 R All All All Two Two negative negative negative positivepositive 24 hours 48 hours 48 hours 72 hours 72 hours

The results show that in mixtures containing predominantly monopropyleneglycol, the initial performance of the product is acceptable, but theperformance rapidly fades over the longer term. Increasing theproportion of iso-propanol to make an equal mixture, shows noimprovement, but increasing it again to 3:1 iso-propanol tomonopropylene glycol, significantly improves the long term performanceof the product, so that it remains active for the desired 8 weeks in theunit. By increasing the amount of iso-propanol even further, to 5:1, theinitial performance is improved slightly, but the long term performanceis again less acceptable. Thus, the effect of manipulating the ratio onthe long term activity of the formulation is demonstrated. A 3:1 ratiois the correct combination for a product active against this bacteriumand utilizing these oils, but other oils and other active mixtures mayrequire different proportions of volatile and non-volatile solvents,depending on the characteristics of the active mixture itself.

EXAMPLE 4

A further illustration of the value of this invention over the prior artis provided in the following Example. A combination of tea tree oil andsilicon dioxide was described in EP 0 965 541. This prior artformulation, consisting of 1.2 g of tea tree oil absorbed onto 3.8 g ofSipernat 22 silicon dioxide, was tested against a formulation consistingof 1.2 g of tea tree oil, 4.2 g of monopropylene glycol, 1.8 g ofiso-propanol, absorbed onto 5.4 g of Sipernat 22 silicon dioxide in ajar experiment. Three jars were used for each of the two trialformulations and three jars for the control. The two products were eachplaced into the bottom of three jars, and sanitary towels inoculatedwith three test bacteria, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureusand Escherichia coli, suspended above the products in separate jars, andthe jars sealed. Surviving bacteria in the towels were counted usingstandard microbiological methods. TABLE 4 Organism Formula 1 day contact2 day contact 7 day contact Staphylococcus Prior art 2.7 × 10⁸ 4.7 × 10⁸<3 × 10³ aureus Solvent  <3 × 10³ NT NT formulation Salmonella Prior art3.6e8⁸ 3.7 × 10⁸ <3 × 10³ typhimurium Solvent  <3 × 10³ NT NTformulation Escherichia Prior art 4.5 × 10⁸ 2.9 × 10⁸ <3 × 10³ coliSolvent  <3 × 10³ NT NT formulation

The data from the prior art formulation is similar to that reported inEP 0 965 541, in that bacteria numbers were reduced in around 7 daysexposure to the product vapour. The increased activity of the newformulation, including solvents, is clearly shown, in that bacterialevels are reduced to below detection limits in just one day.

EXAMPLE 5

One particular embodiment of the present invention involves deliveringthe active ingredient mixture on a sheet of non-woven fabric. Not onlydoes this make the manufacturing process economic, and the product easyfor the end user to dispense, it also improves the anti-microbialperformance of the product. An active ingredient mixture, consisting of2 g of cinnamic aldehyde and 1 g of cinnamon leaf oil, plus a solventmix of 6 g of monopropylene glycol and of 2 g iso-propanol, was testedin a number of delivery systems. In one sanitary disposal unit, theliquid active itself was placed in a small glass beaker placed in thebase of the unit, in a second unit, the active mixture was absorbed ontoa 85 mm×55 mm×4 mm thick pure cellulose pad, and in a third, the activewas absorbed onto the preferred embodiment, a 20 cm×20 cm piece of acellulose/polypropylene non-woven, namely Ahlstrom AH4559. A fourth unithad no treatment and thus served as the control.

The test system described in Example 1 was used, i.e. Staphylococcusaureus bacteria on discs. In this Example, the inoculated discs wereplaced into the units after 10 days, and exposed to the product for 48hours before the discs were removed and surviving bacteria on each discwere enumerated. The results are shown in the following table 5: TABLE 5Surviving bacteria per disc after Treatment 48 hours exposure None(control) 3.0 × 10⁷ Active mix + solvents in glass beaker 6.2 × 10⁶Active mix + solvents of cellulose pad 2.5 × 10⁵ Active mix + solventson non-woven sheet 7.2 × 10³

EXAMPLE 6

A further embodiment of the present invention involves delivering theactive ingredient mixture on a piece of cardboard. The active mixtureconsisted of 0.75 g of cinnamic aldehyde, and the cardboard was a Bflute corrugated board, and of dimensions 400 mm×20 mm×3 mm. The activemixture was absorbed onto one end of the cardboard, and this end wasthen placed uppermost in the unit. One sanitary disposal unit receivedthe test system, and a second had no treatment and thus served as thecontrol. The test system described in Example 1 was used, i.e.Staphylococcus aureus bacteria on discs. In this example, the inoculateddiscs were placed into the units at time zero and after 14 days, andexposed to the product for 72 hours before the discs were removed andsurviving bacteria on each disc were enumerated. The results are shownin the following table 6: TABLE 6 Surviving bacteria per disc after 72hours exposure Treatment Time zero 14 days None (control) 2.3 × 10⁷ 3.1× 10⁷ Active mix on cardboard 1.3 × 10³ 3.2 × 10⁴

The results show that cardboard is a further suitable material todeliver the technology.

EXAMPLE 7

Further embodiments of the present invention involve delivering theactive ingredient mixture on a piece of sintered polyethylene, or in aviscous gel, formed by the addition of silicon dioxide. In each case,the active mixture consisted of 1 g of cinnamic aldehyde plus a solventmix of 6 g of monopropylene glycol and of 2 g iso-propanol. The sinteredpolyethylene was of dimensions 100 mm×80 mm×3 mm, and had an averagepore size of 100 μm and a void volume of approximately 40%. The gel wascreated by adding 6.5% Aerosil 200, a fumed silicon dioxide produced byDegussa, to the liquid preparation. One sanitary disposal unit receivedthe sintered plastic system, one the gel, and the third unit had notreatment and thus served as the control.

The test system described in Example 1 was used, i.e. Staphylococcusaureus bacteria on discs. In this example, the inoculated discs wereplaced into the units at time zero and after 14 days, and exposed to theproduct for 72 hours before the discs were removed and survivingbacteria on each disc were enumerated. The results are shown in thefollowing table 7: TABLE 7 Surviving bacteria per disc after 72 hoursexposure Treatment Time zero 14 days None (control)  2.3 × 10⁷ 3.1 × 10⁷Active mix in sintered plastic <6.6 × 10¹ <6.6 × 10¹  Active mix inviscous gel <6.6 × 10¹ 1.5 × 10⁵

The results show that both embodiments are suitable ways of deliveringthe technology. Indications from these un-optimised systems are that thesintered plastic is slightly more effective than the viscous gel.

EXAMPLE 8

A further illustration of the value of the current invention over theprior art is provided below. An active ingredient mixture, consisting of4 g of cinnamic aldehyde and a solvent mix of 6 g of monopropyleneglycol and of 2 g iso-propanol, absorbed onto a 20 cm×20 cm piece ofAhistrom AH4559 was tested against a formulation containing 1.2 g of teatree oil absorbed onto 3.8 g of Sipernat 22 silicon dioxide, asdescribed in EP 0 965 541.

The test system described in Examples 1 and 5 was used, i.e.Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 4196 bacteria on discs. In this Example,inoculated discs were placed into the units at time zero, and after 4and 8 weeks, and exposed to the product vapour for 72 hours on eachoccasion, before the discs were removed and the number of survivingbacteria per disc enumerated. The results are shown in the followingtable 8: TABLE 8 Surviving bacteria per disc after 72 hours exposureTreatment Time zero 4 weeks 8 weeks Prior art  3.6 × 10⁵  1.6 × 10⁷  4.1× 10⁷ (tea tree oil and silicon dioxide) Present invention <6.6 × 10¹<6.6 × 10¹ <6.6 × 10¹ (cinnamic aldehyde + solvents on a non-wovensheet)

The fact that significant anti-microbial results, were obtained, againsta Gram positive bacterium over an 8 week period, clearly illustrates thevalue of the invention over the prior art.

EXAMPLE 9

A further experiment was conducted to illustrate the effect of usingdifferent volatile solvents in place of iso-propanol. An activeingredient mixture, consisting of 1.5 g of cinnamic aldehyde, 0.25 gcinnamon leaf oil and a solvent mix of 3 g of monopropylene glycol and 9g of each alcohol was used. Five alcohols were tested in total, namelyiso-propanol, n-propanol, methanol, ethanol and n-butanol. Each activeand solvent mixture was absorbed onto a 20 cm×20 cm piece of AhlstromAH4559.

The test system described in Example 1 was used, i.e. Staphylococcusaureus NCTC 4196 bacteria on discs. In this Example, inoculated discswere placed into the units at time zero, and after 2, 4 and 6 weeks.Samples were removed from each bin following exposure to the productvapour for 72 hours on each occasion. The discs were removed and placedinto 9 ml of nutrient broth. These broths were incubated at 37° C., andthen examined for growth after 24 hours. Any broths showing growth weresubsequently streaked onto Baird Parker agar, to confirm the presence ofStaphylococcus aureus. Growth on the streak was scored as a positive(i.e. surviving Staphylococcus aureus were present on the disc) and nogrowth as a negative (100% kill of Staphylococcus aureus on the disc).The results are shown in the following table 9: TABLE 9 Presence ofsurviving bacteria following 72 hours exposure Treatment Week 0 Week 2Week 4 Week 6 Control + + + + + + + + Iso-propanol − − − − − − − −Methanol − − − − − − − − Ethanol − − − − − − − − N-Butanol − − − − − − −− N-Propanol − − − − − − − −

These results clearly show that a wide range of alcohols can be used inthe present invention.

EXAMPLE 10

A further experiment was conducted to illustrate the effect of usingdifferent glycols in place of mono propylene glycol. An activeingredient mixture, consisting of 1.5 g of cinnamic aldehyde, 0.25 gcinnamon leaf oil and a solvent mix of 3 g of glycol and of 9 gisopropanol was used as standard. Five glycols were tested in total.Each active mixture was absorbed onto a 20 cm×20 cm piece of AhlstromAH4559.

The test system described in Examples 1 was used, i.e. Staphylococcusaureus NCTC 4196 bacteria on discs. In this Example, inoculated discswere placed into the units at week 1 and removed from each bin followingexposure to the product vapour for 24 and 48 hours. The discs wereremoved and placed into 9 ml of nutrient broth. These broths wereincubated at 37° C., and then examined for growth after 24 hours. Anybroths showing growth were subsequently streaked onto Baird Parker agar,to test for the presence of Staphylococcus aureus. Growth on the streakwas scored as a positive (i.e. surviving Staphylococcus aureus werepresent on the disc) and no growth as a negative (100% kill ofStaphylococcus aureus on the disc). The results are shown in thefollowing table 10: TABLE 10 Presence of surviving bacteria Treatment T= 24 hours T = 48 hours Control + + + + Diethylene glycol − − − −Hexylene glycol − − − − Butyl glycol − − − − Monoethylene glycol − − − −Dipropylene glycol − − − −

These results clearly show that a wide range of glycols can serve as thenon-volatile solvent in the present invention.

EXAMPLE 11

A further illustration of the range of non-volatile solvents useable inthe current invention is provided below. An active ingredient mixture,consisting of 2 g of cinnamic aldehyde, 0.25 g cinnamon leaf oil, plus asolvent mix of 3.5 g of water and of 6.5 g iso-propanol, absorbed onto a22 cm×25 cm piece of Ahlstrom AH4559 was tested using the methoddescribed in Examples 1 and 5, i.e. Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 4196bacteria on discs. In this example, inoculated discs were placed intothe units at time zero, and after 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks. Samples wereremoved from each bin following exposure to the product vapour for 72hours on each occasion. The discs were removed and surviving bacteriaenumerated (Table 11). TABLE 11 Surviving bacteria on the discs after 72hours exposure at: Time Treatment: zero 2 weeks 4 weeks 6 weeks 8 weeksnone 4.72e7 5.95e7 5.0e7 5.4e7 6.4e7 Active mix <67 <67 <67 <67 <67

The fact that significant anti-microbial results, were obtained, againsta Gram-positive bacterium over an 8 week period, clearly illustrates thevalue of this particular embodiment of the invention.

1. A vapor-producing composition for disinfecting a space comprising oneor more essential oils or essential oil components, and a mixture ofvolatile and non-volatile solvents absorbed on a carrier.
 2. Thecomposition of claim 1, wherein the essential oil component is cinnamicaldehyde.
 3. The composition of claim 1, wherein the essential oilcomponent is cinnamic alcohol.
 4. The composition of claim 1, whereinthe essential oil component is eugenol.
 5. The composition of claim 1,wherein the essential oil is a tea tree oil.
 6. The composition of claim1, wherein the essential oil is cinnamon oil.
 7. The composition ofclaim 1, wherein the volatile solvent is an alcohol.
 8. The compositionof claim 7, wherein the alcohol is isopropanol.
 9. The composition ofclaim 1, wherein the non-volatile solvent is water.
 10. The compositionof claim 9, wherein the non-volatile solvent is a glycol.
 11. Thecomposition of claim 10, wherein the glycol is monopropylene glycol. 12.The composition of claim 1, wherein the ratio of volatile tonon-volatile solvents is in the ratio 10:1 to 1:10.
 13. The compositionof claim 1, wherein carrier is a non-woven material.
 14. The compositionof claim 13, wherein the non-woven carrier is a combination of celluloseand polypropylene.
 15. The composition of claim 1, wherein the carrieris cardboard.
 16. The composition of claim 1, wherein the carrier issintered plastic.
 17. The composition of claim 1, wherein the carrier isamorphous silicon dioxide.
 18. The composition of claim 1, wherein thecardboard carrier has one dimension of at least 200 mm.
 19. Thecomposition of claim 1, wherein the carrier is a self-adhesive item orlabel.
 20. A vapor-producing formulation comprising one or moreessential oils or essential oil components and a mixture of volatile andnon-volatile solvents in a viscous liquid.
 21. The formulation of claim20, wherein the essential oil component is cinnamic aldehyde.
 22. Theformulation of claim 20, wherein the essential oil component is cinnamicalcohol.
 23. The formulation of claim 20, wherein the essential oilcomponent is eugenol.
 24. The formulation of claim 20, wherein theessential oil is a tea tree oil.
 25. The formulation of claim 20,wherein the essential oil is cinnamon oil.
 26. The formulation of claim20, wherein the volatile solvent is an alcohol.
 27. The formulation ofclaim 26, wherein the alcohol is isopropanol.
 28. The formulation ofclaim 20, wherein the non-volatile solvent is water.
 29. The formulationof claim 20, wherein the non-volatile solvent is a glycol.
 30. Theformulation of claim 29, wherein the glycol is monopropylene glycol. 31.The formulation of claim 20, wherein the ratio of volatile tonon-volatile solvents is in the ratio 10:1 to 1:10.
 32. A formulationaccording to claim 20, wherein the viscosity is modified by addition ofsilicon dioxide.
 33. A carrier material, comprising one or moreessential oil or essential oil components impregnated thereon, whereinthe carrier is a resilient or rigid material having a length of at least200 mm.
 34. A carrier material according to claim 33, wherein thematerial is cardboard.
 35. A carrier material according to claim 33,comprising a length of about 300 mm and a width of no more than about 50mm.
 36. A carrier material according to claim 33, wherein the carriermaterial comprises an elongated substantially flat card for insertioninto a waste bin.
 37. Use of a composition of claim 1, to sanitize anddeodorize a waste disposal bin.
 38. Use of a formulation of claim 20, tosanitize and deodorize a waste disposal bin.
 39. Use of a carriermaterial of claim 33, to sanitize and deodorize a waste disposal bin.40. A waste disposal bin comprising the composition of claim
 1. 41. Awaste disposal bin comprising the formulation of claim
 20. 42. A wastedisposal bin comprising a carrier of claim 33.